Perforating-machine.



a. L Hmmm PERFOBATXNG MAGHINE. APPLIOATI'DH EILEINOVl 17, 1910.

Patame @me EL@ www 6 SHEETS-SHEET l.

, f 6:1@ g/ A e? EJK@ G. A. HUSAM.

PERFORATING MAGHNE,

APPLIOATION FILED mm1?, 1910.

Patente June 20, figli.

ses.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

G. A. vHOUSAM' ERF PYLIUATIOH FIL P ORATNG MACHINE.

IBD EDV. 17, 1910.

6 SHEETS-SHEETS @amm Jung@ 20, im.

G. A. HGUSAM.

PERFORMING MACHINE.

APPLIUATION FILED NOV.1'I, 1919.

\/.4?'2? immmmm\ N.,

50mm., n FERFORATING MACH APPLIATlON FILED NOV. 17, 1910.

Fatentef uns G. A. HOUSAM PERFORMING MACHINE.

AlPLIGATION F1LEDNOV.17,1910. Patuted une 20, will.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 6.

.To all 'whom it may concern:

GEORGE A, HOUSAM, O F BENTON HARBOR, MICHIGAN.

PERFORATING-MACHINE.

Sp'ecication of Letters Patent.

Patented J une 20, 1911.'

Application. filed November 17, 1910;' Serial No.v 592,909.

Be it known that I, GEORGE A. HoUsAM, a citizen of the United States,residing at Benton Harbor, in the county of Berrien and State ofMichigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inPerforating-hilachines, of which the following is a specification. y

This invention comprehends certain new and useful iuqirovements incutting scoring, or perforating machines of the rotary type, and isdesigned particularly for use in perforating paper, although it is to beunderstood that the invention is equally applicable for cutting,scoring, or otherwise weakening sheets of `various substances.

The invention also comprehends, more specifically considered,improvements in machines of that class that are designed for eitherstraight line or what is known as stub or -skipping work, where, forinstance thev sheets fed into the machine are perforated for apredetermined distance and left unperforated or intact for apredetermined distance, either at the front or rear edge of the sheet orat some other portion thereof, this work l-eing most commonly employedin forming sheets for check books, Where the stub portion of a sheet isnot intended to be separated into its different stub portions, butremains intact after; the perforated series of checks are detached.

My invention has for its primary object a machine of this character inwhich the perp through torating or scoring heads are independentlydriven and are independently controllable for skipping, whereby any oneof the series of Cuttenheads may be arranged toperforxn straightlineWork and the one nextto it, or others, may at the same time beperforming stub line or skipping Work.

The invention also has for its object improved means for smoothing outthe bur by rolling down the raw edges` said means being arranged todrive the male dies or cutters, and thereby subserving a doublefunction.

vAnother object of the invention is an im-v proved construction andarrangement of smoothing rollers that are direct driven from a shaft andgears and not by frictional pressure. l lThe invention has for a furtherobject an improved feed gage which is positively driven ahead by cranksand cams instead of by springs or the like, the gage being returned ybya Weight or its equivalent, the feed beingthereby more positive in itsaction and including a positive and steady initial stroke and a quickreturn stroke.

The invention has for a still further object an improved construction offemale cutter or die, the slot of which will be selfclearing and will.effectually discharge-the small bits of paper or the like that are cutfrom the sheet in the perfor-ating operation.

Another object'of the invention is an improved `construction andarrangement of strippers, the same comprising sprocket drive chainsarranged toaotate the independently movable and controllable male diesor cutters, the series of driving chains yturning. in such a directionthat vtheir stretches contiguous to the sheet passing the machine willtravel the same Way as the sheet and will properly strip the sheet andprevent it from curling up around the male -disk or cutters, thesprocket chains also operating in such a manner as to avoid creating anyfriction on the paper, thereby entirely eliminating one cause ofwrinkling, which is a disadvantageous feature incidental to most paperperforating machines, particularly those of the rotary type. And anotherobject of the invention is to generally improve this class of machinesand to make them more sure, positive, and otherwise efficient inoperation and more commercially desirable.

With these and other objects in view as .will more fully appear as theldescription proceeds, the invention consists 'in certain constructions.,arrangements and combinations 'of the parts that I shall hereinafterfully describe and claim.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to thefollowing description and accompanying drawings, in which: I 7

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a paper perforating machine embodyingthe improvements of my invention; Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof;Fig. 3 is a rear elevation; Figs. 4 and 5 are enlarged transversesectional views, illustrating, respectively, one of the male dies or.cutters in lowered operative contact with the sheet and in raisedinoperative position for skipping portion of the sheet@ the sheet beingillustrated passing throughdthe machine both before it has'been actedupon by th e perforating devices and `after the smoothirgrollers havetaken "out the burs; Fig. 6 -is-a detail side'view ofthe male-die; Fig.is a diametrical sectional view thereof; Fig. 8 is a side view ofthe'female die; F1g.-9 isa transverse sectional View of such die;` F ig..`I is a sectional side elevation of. one of the smoothing rollers;

. Fig. 11 is a transversesectional view therethe female die.

of; Fig. 12 is a detail view'of the feed table employed; the cross headfor operating the sliding gage being shown in section; Fig. 13 is adetail perspective View of the gage actuating devices; Fig. 14 isadetail perspective View of one of the male die supporting arms; Fig. 15is a similar view of a set collar and a spring for said arms; and, Figs.16 and 17 are fragmentary views of Corresponding and like parts arereferred .to in-the following description and indicated in all thevviews of the drawings by the same reference characters.

The framework of my improved machine maybe of any desiredconstruction-or design and is shown as embodying side frames orstandards l connected by spreader cast ings of conventional type'.

2 designates thefeedtable which is designed to support the sheets asthey are being fed into the machine, said table being supported in anydesired Way, as by brackets, on'e of which is shown at 3 in Fig. l.

In order to feed the sheets into the machine, I have provided a gage bar4, preferably of angle iron,said gage bar being secured to a cross head5A which is formed with side grooves 6 by which it is mounted to slideon the guide rails 7 that are formed at opposite sides of a slot 8, saidslot 'extending longitudinally of the table, as best illustrated in Fig.2. The cross head 5 is connected by a pitman 9 to a crank 10 which issecured to a transverse shaft 11, prefer,- ably at about themiddle ofsaid shaft. The

- shaft 11 is journaled inthe. side frames l and is. provided at one endwith a vweighted arm l2 desi ned to return the shaft 11 back to itsinitia position after being operated by means of a crank 13 that issecured to the opposite endof said shaft and that carries a roller lltengaging a cam 15 formed on or secured to a relatively large gear wheel16.

.The gear wheel 16 is secured to one end of aV transverse shaft 17mounted in bearing 4brackets 18 projected upwardly from the Asupportingframes 1 at the rear ends thereof. As the wheel 1G turns, the reverselycurved or active vportion'of the cam 15 will engage the roller 14 andswing the crank 18 upwardly and forwardly with a relatively -quick 'andpositive mcvem nt, the shaft 11 being thereby turned'abouitslongitudinala'xis to move the cross head and'gage ba'r inwardly andthereby feed into the machine' the sheet laid on the table with its rearedge restlng on the gage bar.- In the continued rotation of the wheel 16and its'cam 15, the

'weighted arm 12 willvbe' permitted to act quickly to return the cross`head and gage ba-r to their initial position, when the' active portionof the cam l5 recedes from the roller` 14 and permits the'weighted arm12 toact. -P1.'eferably, the inwardly curved portion of the cam 15 1s soproportioned that its work-l mg surface is an arc of relatively largera'- `diu s, while the releasing surface is abrupt,

- of an idler'23, a pinion 24. See Fig. 1. The

pinion 24.1 is secured to one end of a transverse shaft which extendsentlrely across the machine, a lower feed roller 26 being secured tosaid shaft, 'as best illustrated in Figs. Lland 5 which should now beread in connection particularly with Fig.` l'. The pinion 24:'1nesheswith a corresponding pinion 27, the latter being secured to one end of atransverse shaft 28 also extending entirely across the machine andcarrying the upper -feed roller 29. Preferably, the shaft 28 is mountedin vertically adjustable bearings, so that the feedingaction of the tworollers 26 and 29-may be properly controlled. The idlers 21 and 23 arepreferabl mounted on stubv shafts.- The. inion 22 w ich is driven fromone of the i lers and drives the other,

is mounted on vone end of a transverse shaft 30 extending entirelyacross the machine, said shaft having secured to it any desired numberof female dies or cutters 31 arranged in any desired spaced relation toeach other. Coactingwith the female dies 31 and mounted above thesameare a corresponding number of male dies 32 which are -herein show-nas perforating dies, although it is to be understood that my inventionis not limited in this regard and that, particularly in the claims, theword die or cutter is to be con-A strued as comprehendingand covering adevice capableof we akening aJ sheet 1n any way, either by cutting,scormg or perforat` 'ing'. The pinion 20 is secured to a transverseshaft 33 which also extends entirely across the machine, said shaftcarrying a supporting roll 34. This last named pinion is of such widththat i't not only engages the teeth of the gear wheel .16, butalsoengages the teeth of a pinion 35 which is secured to one end ofatransverseshaft 36 extending enthis purposethe rollers 37 and dies 32are respectively provided with sprocket teethhereinafter morespecifically referred to and designated by reference numerals, chains38' extending. around the sprocket wheels of the corresponding rollersand dies, as best illustrated in Figs. 4' and 5, the lower stretches ofthe sprocket Wheels traveling in the saine direction as the sheet'passing through the machine, and thereby not only avoiding friction onthe paper and eliminating the main cause of Wrinkling, but also servingto eifectively strip the sheet from the male. dies.

For the sake of clearness', 1 have first described and thus farv setforth the general construction and correlated arrangement of some of theprincipal parts of my invention, and will now describe the generaloperation thereof, reserving the latter `part of the specification for amore detail description of some of the elements.

From the foregoing description, in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, it will be understood that as the sheet is fed into themachine by the gage bar 4, it will be caught by the feeding-in rollers26 and 29 and will be passed thereby to the dies the sheet traveling inbetween the male dies and their corresponding female dies and beingperforated along predetermined number -of lines, the male dies 32 beingdriven by the rollers 37 andchains 38, the latter serving to strip theperforated sheet from the dies, and the rollers 37 not-only .serving todrive the dies 32. but in conjunction with the supporting roller 34,servingto smooth out the broken ridge or-raw edge that is formed at theline of cutting or perforation. The sheet is passed from the machineonto a discharge table 2a,'the same being supported in any desired way,as by a strut 3a supported upon any desired portion of the machineframework. It is to be particularly noted that the sheet is carriedstraight through the machine from the feeding table to the discharge,table andl not fed downwardly, as

has heretofore been customary, after leaving the cutters or perforat-ingdevices.

I stated at the beginning of the specification that one of the objectsof my invention was` an improved construction and arrangc merit ofcutter 'heads or male dies` the same being` independently driven, :asbefore pointed out, and being also independently contiollahle,wl1erebyone male cutter can beoperated to perform straight line work,

the male dies 32, the female dies 3l and the smoothing rollers 37.

Each of themale dies 32 is carried by an arm 39 which ,is mountedintermediate of its ends to tilt upon a'transversely extending rod 40mounted above the rollers 37. .Each arm 39 is preferably providd at its-rear end with an anti-friction roller 41 designed for engagement by acam lug 42 secured in any desired way, and preferably in a detachable oradjustable manner, to a cam disk 43, the cam disks being all secured,as'by set screws on sliding key and key-way upon the shaft 17. Theforwardly project-- ing ends of the arms 39, in which the dies 32 arejournaled, are pressed downwardly by leaf springs 43a, the tensionof'said springs being adjusted by means of set screws 44 to freely rockon' the rod 40 as an axis and said collars also serving to support thesprings 43a. It will thus be understood, by referring particularly toFigs. 4 and 5, that lwhen it is desired that any of the cutters shallvdo skipping or stub line work, a cam lug 42 is secured to the' disk 43of that cut-' ter and at the required position on the periphery of thedisk 43 according to the purticular point it is desired the male cuttershall rise,"the length of the lug manifestly determining the dwellorduration o f time the male Adie shall remain in its raised inoperative position according to the required length of the skip. Hence,as the shaft 17 rotates, those disks 43V that arethus provided with camlugs will operatively engage and depress the rear ends of thecorresponding arms 39. so as to raise the male die or dies, seeFig. 5,it 'being particularly noted that the male dies are independently drivenand are rendered independently controllable. whereby any one or more ofthem' may do straight line Work and the others stub line or skippingwork. The raising of any of the male dies 32 ,does not interfere with oraffect the continuous rotation of any of the smoothing rollers 37. Figs.4 and l5 show a sheet passing through the machine, Fig. 4 illustrating amale die in its lowered position and the roller 34 and itssuperposedroller 37 smoothing out the bur, While Fig. 5

-illustrates the same male die held temporarily raised to skip a ortion.of the sheet.

In the present em odiment of the inven l tion, the male dies 32 are`journaled in forks 56 that are formed in the forward ends of the arm 39(see Fig. 14), kand each male die is composed of a hub portion 51preferably formed integral with a {iangeor diskp'ortion 52, and a rin'g53 which holds between 1.0 it and the adjoining disk portion 52 aprefs.V` erably thinsheet metal disk 54, the periphrery of which isnotched or otherwise' vformed according to the particular operation lrequired of it'. i5 portion`52of the die to the ring 53 and pass A"throughthe disk 54. rlhe ring 53 is formed with sprocket teeth. 56 forengagement by; the chain 38. In the'present embodiment of the invention,the female cutter 31 comprises] a hub portion 57 adapted to be securedtov blocks in to which screws 64 extend," theA headsv of the screwsbeing adapte d 'to ex tendl over the ring 62. The blocks 63, are' formed-with-a tapered lug 65 which extends into'the circle of the tivoopposing grooves 60 and 61, and the ring 62 forms a clearance space 66Whichjcommunicates directlywith the grooves 60 and 61 thattogether-constitute the slot for the disk 54.' By this con-V structionand arrangement of parts, the :female dies are rendered selfclearing,the

small particles of paper cut from the sheet falling out throughthe'clearance space 66 and this action being facilitated bythe taperedlugs 65.

The. smoothing rollers 3.7 are, i in` the. present embodiment of theinvention, each -composedot a hub portion 67 adapted to :be

secured'toQthe shaft 36 by a set screw 68, an .I

intermediate main body portion 69 and a series of sprocket teeth'f70that are designed to 5f co-act .withthe teeth 5 6 of the' male dies 32for engagement 'by :the-i driving and stripping chains' 38.i-Thetread'surface of the I roller 37 isformed by asepa-rate iingl fvvh'ichis-refeijably formed'ivith'sideflanges, 5 5 'as best iliiistrated in Fig.'11, said'tread ring being yieldingly.'heldv around vthe main in'.-termediate'portion69 ofthe roller forboth rotayand circumferentiallyindependent movement, bymeans of springs 72"that are 6o .t-hree innumberl in thepresent instance se# cured in equidistan't relation to.eac h other to the' periphery of' .th ev portion' 69 screws 73.' 1 As mymachine is obviously applicable for 65 use as a cutting .or scoring machin'e, as vvell- Scrcws connectV the-disk" as a'perforating machine,or as a machine i' for in any Way producing a weakening'line or lines ina-sheet, it 1s to be understood-1 y that, in the' annexed claims,rWherever. .the v terms cutter, die, or means for cutting are' employed,the same are to be construed" broadly as aldeviceor means for-inany'wise 'producing weakening lines in aV 'sheet', l whetherthejsheetfbescored, partially cut is claimed as new is:

embodying means for cutting sheets of material, and means for smoothingout the sheets on the line of cutting comprising a supportingroller,'and a smoothing roller c o-acting'-therewith and between whichVthe shee't passes, -th'e' smoothing roller being a .positively drivenroller. and provided with an independently movable tread ring, andVAsprings supporting said tread ring foren independent circumferential`and radial movementf f y 2. In a.v machine "of the' character described,means for cutting sheets of material,

1.. A machine of the character described, .i

vand means .forsmoothing out the' sheet on the lineof cutting,comprising a supporting roller, a positively driven shaft, and a rollermounted on said shaft and movable therefwith, the' last named rollerbeing provided with an 'independently movable channeled tread ring, andspringscarried by said last named roller and having their endsfrictionally engaging the channeledtread ring.

3i AIn a machine of the characteridescribed, independently drivencutters, andmeans for automatically moving one of Vsaid `cutters to aninoperative position independently ofthe others. Y

4. In a machine of the vcharacter de-v scribed, a plurality of rotarycutter's,'and

means for automatically holding one of saidcutters temporarily in'ianinoperative posi-v tion independently of the others. Y

scribed, a plurality of cutters, means-'for continuously driving onecutter independently of the others, and. means for tempo- 5. In amachine of the character de iie rarily holding one cutter in aninoperative position independently of the other.

.6. In ,amachine of the character de 'sci'ibed,'a rot-ary cutter, asmoothing,r roller,

and an endless driving connection between 4the cutter and roller, saidconnection being adapted to stri p a sheet from the cutter.

7. In a machine of the character d escribed, a plurality of rotarycutters, arms in which said cutters are journaled, said arms beingpivotally mounted intermediate of their ends, one independently of theothers, and means for rocking 'one of said arms independently of the'others.

8.'In a machine of the character de scribed,jva iipljtirality: Icutters, supporting arms in .which the cutters arerespectivelymointed,`f said arms being 'pivotally mounted intermediateof their ends, one armI independently of the other, and indevpendentcams arranged to engagesaid arms to rocktlie same, for the ,purposespecified.

9. In a machine of the character described, aplurality of rotarycutters, independently .movable arms in whichY said cuttersare4journaled, means for supporting y saidV armsnterme'diate of their endsfor' a rocking movement, a shaft, a series of independent and laterallyadjustable cam disks secured on saidl shaft, and means for effectl'ingengagementbetween one of said springs arranged to press' said armstoward their operative position, and means "for varying the 'tension ofsaid springs.

1I.' A machine of the character described,

i embodying a plurality of rotar` cutters, in

' dependently movablearnis in which the cut- 'ters ai'e respectivelyjournaled, a. support on which said arms are mounted for a rockingmovemerit, means for rocking said arms, springs pressingon saidarms andexerting a tension thereon to ino've the arms toward their operative.positions, a bar extending .transversely across the `arms, clampscarried by lsaid bar, and tension adjusting screws .carried by said.clamps and bearing uponsaid springs.

l2., A machine of the character described,- embodying a plurality ofrotary cutters,

arms in which said ciitters are'respectively jonrnaled, said arms beingrespectively formed intermediate of their ends with a recess, a setcollar for each of said arms, a- 'supporton which said set collars aremountcth-'the set collars being. received in the recesses of the armsa'nd 'arranged to prevent lateral displacement thereof while permittingarocking movement., and means for rocking said arms.

13. A machine of the character described, embodying a plurality ofrotary cutters, A arms in which said cutters are respectivelyjournaled., .said arms being respectively formed intermediate of theirends with a recess, a set collar for each of said arms, a

support oirwhicli said set collars are mounted, the set collars beingreceived in the recess-es of the arms and arranged to prevent lateraldisplacement thereof while permitting arockirig movement, means forrocking said arms, and Springssecured to the set collars and bearinguponsaid arms.,

the .opposing faces of the rin portion being formed with circu arrecesses, land means for securing the disk portion and.

995,368..` i' l "a embodyinga rotary cutter comprising ahub portionprovided withv a disk portion, a; clamping ring adapted to beslippedover the hub portion, a cutter disk clamped between the diskportion and ring, and sprocket teeth formed on said ring.v r

15. A machine of the character described,

embodying a female die comprising a hub portion provided with a diskportion, a ring, and disk riiig"together with the recesses incommunication with the interior of the ring, the lat-- ter being openand constituting a 'clearance space-for cuttings'.

'16. A machine of the character described,

`embodying. a. female die comprising a hub portion provided witha diskportion, a.ring,.

the opposing faces of the ring and disk portion being formed withcircularA recesses, blocks carried byv the vdisk portion, and screwsworking in said blocks and adapted to engage the ring to hold the latterin-operative relation to the disk portion.

17. A machine of the character described, embodying a female diecomprising a hub portion provided with ay disk portion, a ring,

the disk portion being formed with blocks and with outwardly projectingtapered lugs, and screws working in said blocks andarranged to engagethe 'ring to hold the latter in operative relation to said disk portion.

18. A machine of the character described,

embodying a framework, feeding-in rolls journaled in said framework atoneA end thereof, a. ksupporting roll journaled in theA framework at theopposite end thereof, smoothing rollers arranged .in superposed relationto the supporting roller, means for driving said rollers, a plurality offemale dies interposedbetween the supporting roller and one of thefeeding-in rollers, a

plurality of" rotary cutters supported. between the smoothing rollersand the other feevdingn roller, and meansfor independently driving therotary cutters.

1f).4 A machine of;` the character described,

embodying a support-ing framework, a'feed',

table arranged in juxtaposition thereto, a

last named crank to turn the shaft in adi-v rection to draw thecross-head inwardly', and

means for turning Asaid shaft in the opposite direction.

20. In a machine of thev character described, the combination withcutting mechanism, and'rollers arranged to feed' a sheet to the 'cuttingmechanism, ofa4 table nr- 14. A machi'neof the character described,

ranged in juxtaposition to said rollers, a

115 feeding .cross head arranged to reciprocate cross-head operatingv in'said table, a shaft,

a crank connected to said shaft, a' pitman Connecting said crank. tolthe'cross head, means for intermittently turning said shaft in a'direction to draw the cross-headinvWardly, and a "weighted armconnected' to'l A said shaftand arranged Vizo-turn lthe same in adirection to move the` cross-head out- 21. In a machine `of tliecharacter de? scribed, the combination' Wit-h 'al supporting frameworkand feedin-in Vrollers journaledl in said framework, o cutting mechanismmounted in 'the framework and arranged to receive a. sheetfrom saidrollers, 4means including a shaft for" ntermittently moving 'the-cuttingmechanism to an inoperative4 po? siti'on, a rotary cam carried-bysaidshaft, a

feed table arranged injuxtaposition to sa'd rollers, a gagebar operatingon said table, meansv operated .by said. cam for intermittently andpositively motfingggthegage bar K cutters temporarily in an inoperative.osition independently of the others at regu arly succeeding intervals. ov 23. In a machine of the character de' scribed, a plurality of rotarycutters, arms in which said cutters are journaled,\ saidl arms. being'pivotally mounted one independentlyof the others, and means forintermittingly rocking one of said arms independently of. the others.

In testimony whereof, I aiix my signature Y in presence oftWo-Witnesses.

GEORGE A. HOUSAM. [mi

W itnesses:`

` ETHEL FowLEn,

JAMES/O. CALKiNs.

